Balloon filled with ground coffee makes ideal robotic gripper

[Triple Zero]

Really innovative idea, and it seems to work very well (article + short video demo)

http://www.physorg.com/news/2010-10-robotic-gripper-coffee-balloons.html

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

That's pretty cool! I like when low-tech solves a high-tech problem.

[Jasper]

I like that. 

The canonical example of robot hand dexterity is how well it can pick up an egg, but in this case I think it won't be necessary.

[Triple Zero]

actually the article mentions it is able to pick up eggs, as well as coins.

(coins being the other canonical dexterity test, said the article)

[Jasper]

Ah, this is why reading the last paragraph is important.  Bad skimmer, no cookie.

In other news WOW.  This is cooler than I thought, and I had this pegged as Extremely Cool.

[Triple Zero]

brilliant out of the box thinking, sort of, or innovation, is what it is.

also check the comments btw, they are somewhat skeptical, seemingly coming from a background of industrial robots, yet interesting.

[Jasper]

Hrm.  The naysayers seem to be reacting against mere enthusiasm.  I doubt the objectivity of their doubts, but I see that the coffee gripper is not suited to every task imaginable.  You wouldn't want hands like that for tool use, or precision manipulation, or anything involving sharp objects.

Although even if the hand did get pierced, it would cost very little to replace.  That's a huge boon. 

[Triple Zero]

A coffee-boon?

I agree with your sentiment about the comments btw.

[Bruno]

Seems like a cheap, simple solution for pick and drop, where precise placement isn't important.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

my mind went to the gutter with this invention in less then one second. just saying.

[Telarus]

my mind went to the gutter with this invention in less then one second. just saying.

[Barrett]

Couldn't see it.
The video loaded oh-so slowly and I just couldn't resist the urge to blast the page with this.